5 Reasons Why Instagram Is No Longer Fun

1) There are too many “pro” pictures on Instagram

Open your Instagram feed and you’ll see what I mean. It’s great to see so many beautiful pictures but for the average Joe, this just causes frustration.

It’s like going to a karaoke bar with your friends to have a drink and have some fun and everyone in the bar is a professional or semi-professional singer. Would you go out on that stage knowing you’re not that good and start singing with that crowd being your audience? I don’t think I would.

It’s the same with Instagram, seeing so many “pro” photos in your feed discourages you in posting your average photo of your dog or of a random moment in your life.

On the other hand, I do have to admit that seeing a lot of great photos provides inspiration and promotes competition between new and existing photographers which leads to the skill improvement of not only day to day photos and enthusiasts photographers but also to improvement of the overall professional photography whether it is landscape, street, portrait, wedding, commercial, sport etc.

2) Bad inspiration

Ideally a beginner and even an enthusiast would draw inspiration from great recognized photographers like Henri Cartier Bresson or Ansel Adams or painters like Rembrandt or Gustav Klimt but instead a beginner is now exposed to what is cool and popular right now. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s always best to study the greats before choosing and developing your own style.

It’s like musician learning music off a summer hit. A summer hit as great as it may be it will only be remembered that summer, becoming just a faded memory after 3 months.

3) Instagram photos look the same

Ever had a feeling of deja vu when scrolling through your Instagram feed? You’re not alone. The idea is that everyone’s copying one theme or another in an attempt to gain as many likes as possible. You know what I’m talking about, it’s girl in a canoe or the landscape view captured from inside a tent. Turns out there’s even an account on Instagram called @insta_repeat, dedicated to documenting this trend. Check out this very comprehensive article on this on Petapixel.

4) You spend way too much time finding and editing a good picture

This goes back to #1 above. Because there are so many “pro” pictures, there’s a certain pressure to use good gear, great lighting, a beautiful moment etc and even if you have all that, you still have to spend a lot of time editing your photo to give you that edge and additional likes.

There’s nothing wrong with that but that just takes the fun out of photography, in my opinion.

5) Too many staged photos

Because a lot of people make a living out of Instagram the competition is massive so instead of snapping a candid moment and sharing it with your friends or the world, staging picture perfect moments has become the way go. Nothing wrong with that but you can’t tell what’s fake and what’s real anymore.

Conclusion:

All this being said, Instagram remains one the biggest social media platforms and used in moderation and wisely can still be a powerful tool in your arsenal whether you’re a startup, a photo enthusiast or if you just want to connect with friends or other people. I just don’t think it’s that much fun anymore.

Does Instagram discourage or encourage you? Is Instagram still fun for you? Let me know in the comment section below.